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CBI chief Ranjit Sinha,said Thursday that there was no plan to question Railways Minister Pawan Bansal as of now in connection with the bribery allegations involving his nephew.

Sinha told The Indian Express over the phone that investigations were still at a preliminary stage. We have picked up the relevant files from the ministry and are examining them further, he said.

The CBI,however,questioned Bansals personal secretary Rahul Bhandari,an IAS officer of Punjab cadre,for the second day Thursday. Bhandari was asked for an explanation on the intercepted conversations available with the investigating agency. We played the intercepted conversations to Bhandari and asked him to explain each and every aspect of it, said a senior official. Sinha confirmed Bhandari had been questioned.

The CBI Thursday told a Delhi court that key witnesses were yet to be examined and documents yet to be collected from various departments.

CBI sources said they had established the money trail of the Rs 90-lakh alleged bribe delivered to Bansals nephew Vijay Singla in Chandigarh.

The CBI has recorded over 1,000 calls running into several hours to build up its case that Mahesh Kumar allegedly bribed the ministers nephew to get promoted as Member (Electrical).

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The deal was allegedly for Rs 10 crore and additional Rs 2 crore bribe was offered to get Kumar additional charge of general manager (Western Railway) and also head of Signalling and Telecom.

The CBI chief also said they were yet to decide on questioning of the Railway Board members. On being asked whether Kumar and Singla often met at the railways ministers house and discussed about his promotion,Sinha said,Meeting somebody at someones place does not really prove anything.

On Thursday,five accused,including Singla and Kumar,were remanded in judicial custody till May 20 by a Delhi court.

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Singlas close aide Ajay Garg,businessman Sandeep Goyal and Managing Director of GG Tronics India Pvt Ltd,Narain Rao Manjunath,were produced before Special CBI Judge Swarna Kanta Sharma after expiry of their CBI custody. The CBI moved an application seeking to send them in judicial custody,saying the investigation is still at an initial stage.

It said since the allegations against the accused are serious and they are influential persons,they should be remanded in judicial custody. On May 7,accused Vivek Kumar,Dharmendra Kumar,businessmen Samir Sandhir and Rahul Yadav were remanded in judicial custody till May 20.